Bad Luck
by dyingcow
Summary: Being reborn into a merchant clan in Yugakure instead of some major village like Konoha should've been a stroke of pure luck. Hundreds of miles away from Naruto's main characters, I couldn't possibly interfere. Right? Ha. With my luck, I should've known better. Full summary inside. Warnings: OC as Hidan's sister, AU, hints of self-insert.
1. Unlucky, 倒霉

。 。

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**1, [Unlucky (倒霉）]**

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Summary

**Being reborn into a merchant clan in Yugakure instead of some major village like Konoha should've been a miracle, a blessing from Miss Fortune herself. Hundreds of miles away from Naruto's main characters, I couldn't possibly interfere with the natural course of events. Right? _Right?_ ...ha. I should've known better.**

** My chances of staying out of the picture were destroyed...by an innocent brother; an idiotic prophecy; a superstitious clan; a meddling god; a stubborn mother; and, last but not least, my two half-siblings. **

. . .

* * *

My death caught me off guard.

One second I was nodding off to a Schubert concerto, my left hand idly tapping to the violin part, feeling like the happiest girl in the world. Then, without even the smallest of warnings, my trusty antique Toyota was spinning wildly out of control, an 18-wheeler embedded to its side.

The collision was a mess of metal-on-metal screeching, blood, _unbelievable pain_, and screaming. I felt my car being catapulted off the road and onto the grass that flanked the highway. It was abruptly stopped by something- a tree, probably.

By the time I heard the telltale wail of sirens, I was already halfway through the threshold of death.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God. I just...oh my god...can you hear me, girl? Please, tell me you can hear me...your legs...oh God..." Ah. It was probably the other driver, the trucker. Even in my half-dead state I can smell beer on his breath. Damn.

"I need you to stand aside, sir. The paramedics are coming through."

"No, I can't. I...you can't...oh God, paramedics?"

The sirens, the walkie-talkies, the conversations, the footsteps; they all garbled into a high-pitched whine that slowly drained away. Colorful spots danced chaotically in my vision. My head throbbed violently to the pulse of my heart, and the last thing I saw was the pulpy mash of blood and bone that used to be my legs.

My last living thought was realizing that this was how I was going to die; from the mistakes of another person.

Then, just like that, it was done.

My life. Over.

That morning, I had just received my admission letter to Juilliard. _The _Juilliard. I had _just _achieved my dream, my _only _dream since I first touched a violin, and it was snatched away, _just like that_.

I didn't even have time to think of my parents, my friends, my little brother, and all the cities I will never travel to, all the people I will never meet, the pieces I will never play, and all the shows I will never watch; before it all went away, fading to black like the ending of some cheesy video game.

Whichever god decided to do this to me, I have one thing to say.

Fuck. You.

* * *

After life (or so I thought) was boring.

Wet and warm, it cocooned me in a haze of tranquility.

My thoughts were jumbled, suspended in the dark space around me. A memory would occasional flit through, fuzzy like TV reception on a bad day. I vaguely wondered how my family was doing. How long has it been since my accident? Do they miss me? How many people would cry at my funeral?

I don't know how long I stayed in that state.

Then, unceremoniously, I was shoved out of my safe haven, into a _bright_, _noisy_ environment, bursting with blurred colors.

Thinking back on it, I was an idiot to not notice that I was in a womb and that I was being born- a_ second_ time.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Seiryū Hyuumi woke up feeling happy and festive. Today was a big day for the Seiryū clan, and big days meant eating and laughing and fireworks!

Why? Because the matriarch's second baby was due!

The newest addition to the clan was even bigger of a deal considering the first child was...well, she didn't know what _exactly_ was wrong with him, but he was _different. _He was only a year older than her, but his hair was a silver like an old man's. And his eyes...

Adults were politely distant from him, touching him only in extreme circumstances. Following their example, kids were at first hesitant around him, then outright terrified. It didn't help that he seemed to enjoy scaring them occasionally.

Kaa-chan whispered to her once that when the clan was formed, their ancestors fortold that a violet-eyed child would be the downfall of the Seiryū. And if it wasn't for his mother's political power, the elders would've strangled the clan heir with his own umbilical cord the moment he was born.

Hyuumi wasn't exactly sure what any of that meant, but downfall sounded like falling down so did that mean he would make them all trip or something? It didn't sound like such a great reason to strangle him with telephone cord, but Hyuumi just went with the flow.

However, Hyuumi was also told not to think about him too much, so she tried to think of other things. Like...like...oh yeah! The new baby! She loved babies! They were so pudgy and cute and always so happy! Well, not when they pooped and drooled and cried and stuff...but they were still so cute!

The little girl giggled as she skipped through the main courtyard to the dining hall. There was going to be a breakfast celebration in honor of the new kid. Hyuumi loved breakfast celebrations! She especially liked eating sponge cake and throwing icky foods at her bratty cousin, Hyuna!

Her braided pigtails bounced on her shoulder as the path took her around ponds filled with black koi, and small plots of dirt planted with blue orchids. Kaa-chan told her Seiryū meant azure dragon, so there were dragons everywhere! It was on the arches, all of the stones, and the walls, constantly watching over them. In fact, their clan symbol was a Chinese dragon curved into an S. Her friends at school were all jealous of her cool clan symbol! So Hyuumi loved her clan symbol, too!

"Hyuumi-chan?"

"Hai?" Hyuumi stopped violently, spinning around. But, she had been going too fast on her geta sandals and lost her balance. With a gasp she realized she was about to fall in a koi pond. _NOOO!_

A warm, firm hand grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her up with surprising strength at the last moment. Hyuumi gasped, tilting her head up towards her savior. "Ariga- Oh! Good morning, Hiroyo-sama!"

Flustered, she quickly bowed like all the children were taught to when they encountered the matriarch. 60 degrees at the waist, no more, no less. She couldn't believe _Hiroyo-sama_ herself just came to her rescue!

The tall, elegantly curved woman made a soft sound of amusement. "Beautiful morning, isn't it? I'm sure you didn't want to spend it with the koi. You may stand up now."

"Hai, Hiroyo-sama!" Hyuumi straightened obediently, smiling at the swollen woman.

That was precisely when she saw _him _there, clutching to the folds of his mother's elaborate kimono.

Hyuumi froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her instincts told her to _run__,_ or at least look away from his curious, enormous, _amethyst _colored eyes. But she saw Hiroyo-sama's frown, and she couldn't insult her leader, who was also very, very, pregnant.

She didn't want to be mean to a pregnant lady, so she tried to remember her manners. Stiffly, she bowed to the silver-haired child. "G-good morning to you too, Hidan-sama."

"Ohaiyo," The clan heir responded gruffly, expression unreadable. "Ano...Hidan is fine."

Hyuumi nodded, gnawing at her nails, suddenly finding the paved ground very interesting.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Hiroyo watched their interaction intently. She was an extremely observant woman. That trait was useful most of the time, but then, she was always forced to watch other children treat her baby this way. Adults were at least better at hiding their disdain.

All because of that stupid, stupid prophecy. Hidan? Downfall of their clan? Hiroyo scoffed to herself. As if the elders would let him anywhere _near_ a weapon.

Hyuumi probably didn't even know the reason behind Hidan's treatment. She was simply doing what children did best; copying the actions of the grown men and women around her.

Fucking idiots. And they dare call themselves parents, too?

Hiroyo sighed before putting on her best motherly face. "Hyuumi-chan. Would you like to accompany Hidan-kun and I to breakfast?"

Hyuumi looked reluctant, but she agreed anyways. After all, everyone knew better than to fuck with Hiroyo.

* * *

It was, relatively speaking, a quick birth compared to the last one. Hidan had been quite a stubborn little fucker.

Hiroyo's water broke in the middle of breakfast. The clan leader didn't even notice her contractions evening out until she felt something _pop_ and oh Kami, was she going into labor?

Many of the children, including Hyuumi, started giggling, thinking that the matriarch couldn't hold her pee-pee in. Hiroyo would've laughed with them if she wasn't about to be shoving out a kid soon.

After being rushed to the nearest private room, Hiroyo spent the next two hours screaming her head off, surrounded by encouraging women, and pushing for all her worth. She emptied her mind, feeling tranquil despite the convulsions that wracked her body. She tried- she really tried- to not think about the two men who had been the cause for her birthing experiences.

Yes, there were two different men.

And yes, that was perfectly acceptable. The Seiryū clan's marriage traditions were rather...unique.

For centuries, the eldest daughter of the main family 'married' the closest male relative of her generation. According to said tradition, a stranger couldn't possibly preserve peace as well as one of the matriarchal clan's own. The marriage was chaste, of course, and there was no consummation involved. The matriarch and her husband didn't even have to sleep in the same room.

As an only child, Hiroyo was wedded to Hiroto, her cousin, but everyone and their mothers knew that he didn't go out every saturday for _just _a drink. If anything, her 'husband' was a locally famous womanizer. She wouldn't be surprised if you could start a small army with the number of children he's fathered.

Hiroyo didn't care. It was only fair. After all, it was also tradition for all of the matriarch's children to come from a different lover each time. Hiroyo smirked, despite the pain in her lower regions. What lovers they had been.

Her expression immediately soured, however. The reason why she resented them was that they would never see their children- she couldn't let them stay. They were both flings. Flings of a lifetime, yes, but they were just that. Flings. They had lives of their own, lives that were far away from Hiroyo.

Hidan's father committed suicide a few years ago. It happened long after she sent him home, which she felt obliged to do once he admitted that he had a young son waiting for him. Her suspicions said that he was a shinobi, resting on the way home from a mission when they met in Yugakure's famous hot springs. News of his death shocked her, and nowadays, she often found herself wondering about his other son.

As for the second's father...her brief association with him ended when he became homesick. "I'm from a big clan, too. I miss everyone. I love you, Hiroyo, but..." Those were his last words before setting off. He only gave her a first name, just like the Hidan's father, but she knew who he was. There were only three sizable clans in Konohagakure with that distinctive black hair, after all, and only two of them had members that could use the body flicker technique.

Hiroyo chuckled inwardly. If only her children wanted to (could) become shinobi...they had such _amazing genes_ for that career choice.

Anyways, she was optimistic about this one.

The infamous omen had said, after all, that _a _violet-eyed child would be the downfall of the Seiryū. There couldn't possibly be a second. A 0.0001% eye color mutation could't possibly happen twice. Hiroyo was confident that her second child would lead a happy, normal life within the compound walls, unlike its unfortunate older brother.

Later, Hiroyo would blame herself for being overconfident.

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Word count:1,956

Total:1,956

Goal: less than 2000 each chapter.

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**Soooo...I took a short writing break from To Be the Will of Fire and this happened. ****And I also need suggestions for a better title...**

**Edited many times on 7/11.****  
**


	2. Hidaka，日高

**. . .**

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**2, [Hidaka (日高)]**

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_1 月后 , (1 month later)_

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"Have you heard?"

"Hai, the Seiryū clan matriarch, they said her second..."

"...same eyes as the first..."

"Bah! Cursed children, the two of them."

About a month after Hidaka's birth, the blue irises ubiquitous to all babies darkened into a dangerously deep purple. The baby, previously dubbed adorable, and whose nursery was stuffed with Seiryū clansmen, found a sudden drop in visitor numbers. At the same time, rumors began to spread like wild fire on dry kindling.

Some said their eyes were carved from the same piece of amethyst.

Some said that a mischievous oni had snuck poison into Hiroyo-sama's food, dyeing her daughter's eyes.

Some said that their mother did away with clan traditions and slept with the same man twice, though that one sputtered out once someone pointed out the second had dark hair.

Some even said, voices low, that _her aniki cursed Hiroyo-sama's womb_.

When the mother herself heard that one from the lips of her servant, her good-natured, stoically passive outer shell _cracked. _Hiroyo smiled as she dismissed the stunned, well-meaning Hizumi-chan, a plan already forming in her head. So, the traditional, kage-less Yugakure wanted to put a black smudge on Seiryū Hiroyo's name, eh?

_It's not that easy._ The smile was gone in a flash, replaced by an expression so blank it was unnatural.

"Hiroto-kun," Within seconds she was in the room of her 'husband'. Her cousin had a a head of soft honey-toned hair and a sharp, angular jaw that was undoubtedly kissed by grandmothers and whores alike. Right now, however, drool was seeping out of his mouth as he slept off a massive hangover. "I need you to do me a favor. If you don't, cousin dearest, I'll tell Hatsumomo-geiko-chan just _whose _ass you brought home last night instead of hers."

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_3 月后 , (3 months later)_

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Don't underestimate a Chinese person's ability to read kanji.

Granted, the pronunciations were _completely_ different in Japanese, but I could still decipher the basic meaning behind the two characters painted on the centerpiece of my crib besides the fact that they constituted my name.

日高.

Rì-gaō, I read. _Pretty. Not a very...Chinese way of grouping of characters, though. Kanji, then. _

日- Sun, day.

高- tall, proud.

Day tall and day proud sounded like pride parade slogans, so nope. What then? Sun tall? Sun proud?

...Prideful Sun?

My new name sounded horrifyingly awkward in English, but it's rather artistic when you read it in my first language. Taken out of context, it sounded like the incomplete prelude to some flowery Tang-dynasty poem. I amused myself for hours trying to make a four-character proverb out of it. Make the most out of what little you have, right? As a three-going-on-four month old, there wasn't anything else to do besides sleep, breastfeed, and crap.

Besides, Prideful Sun was a _much, much_ better moniker than son of a hardworking cow, which, when translated loosely, is what my previous legal name meant*.

"Hidaka-chan?"

A soft, boyish whisper of my name jolted me from my musings. In the soft, pudgy baby body that I resided in, the jolt translated into a weak flinch. Then, sniffles.

"Maa, dou simashita ka? Shi-tsu,shi-tsu, imouto..." The voice grew frantic as its owner tried to calm me.

Learning a language (especially one as orally complex as Japanese) was harder than I expected, even with the bonus of having an infant's brain. So far, I've picked up a few essential phrases like shi-tsu (which I took to mean the same thing as "shhh"), but it'll be awhile until I could fully understand everyone. For now, I was stuck on my crib, lying on my back and listening to the child hovering over me speak in rapid-fire Japanese.

It still surprised me that this chatty, _nice_, and painfully young child was..Hidan. _The _Hidan of the Akatsuki, who looked completely harmless without the intimidating Akatsuki cloak and the wicked three-bladed scythe.

Imagine my shock when, a week or so after my birth, a particular violet-eyed child was brought before me and introduced between a mess of coos as 'aniki'. It took me three heartbeats to recognize just _who_ he was, and when I did, I knew just how interesting this second life of mine would be. When the nursemaids saw the temporary look of horror on my infantile face, however, they quickly shooed the crestfallen boy out of the room and stuffed a pacifier into my mouth.

Shortly after that exchange, I was brought to this room. Plain and small, it was devoid of any personality, but all the furniture was high-end. My clan was rich, then. A good thing. I was never poor in my past life, but my immigrant parents had struggled for years to stay in the lower American middle class. Still, the room was a tight fit for my crib, a dresser, and an enormous mirror mounted on a heavily carved wooden frame that I have yet had the chance to peer into. The walls were painted a rich indigo color- androgynous enough for either a girl or a boy.

"...ne, Hidaka-chan?"

I realized that Hidan had stopped talking, giving me an expectant look. A question. How the hell did he expect a three-month old to understand _anything_ he was saying?

My initial fear of being murdered by my brother crumbled when I realized that he genuinely liked me. It was...nice. Still, I don't know how I felt about having a _future Akatsuki member_ as a sibling. For now, I've decided to remain neutral towards him, listening to him talk for hours on an end.

Eventually, I settled for staring at him blankly, sticking a whole hand into my mouth to emphasize my ignorance.

He must've thought I was smiling at him through my fist, because a huge grin sudden split his face. With an excited jabber, he picked me up. I sucked in a shaky breath. It was alright when Hiroyo or another adult picked me up, but Hidan was a _child_, and children were prone to accidentally dropping things, including babies.

_Babies have weak skulls_, my mind supplied helpfully. _  
_

I knew better than to squirm and increase his chances of dropping me, so I stayed still and fixed him with a stern look. After a bit of fumbling, Hidan figured out how to hold a baby properly and took me towards the entrance of the room. _Finally! _But right before we reached the door, Hidan sat us down in front of the huge mirror.

There, I was presented the perfect view of Hidan's face superimposed over mine as he set his chin atop of my head with a childish smile.

Oh.

Ohhhhh.

I remember being fawned over by many, many people with the same brunette hair as Hiroyo, probably my relatives. It has been awhile since I've seen my mother with the others, but I inferred from the way they had treated her that she was the leader of the clan.

But, about two month ago, people seemed to have forgotten about my existence. Only Hiroyo, Hidan, and a select few women whom I've assumed to be maids came to take care of me.

Why did my popularity plummet so much?

My reflection answered me. Because, even though my skin was two shades tanner than Hidan's and the soft tuft of hair on my head was ink-black, my eyes were undeniably the same deep, rich plum color as my aniki's.

_Ah._ So, the clan feared me as well. I'd already deduced that Hidan wasn't very well-liked by the rest of the clan. No one except Hiroyo and I willingly looked him in the eye, so I guess it had something to do with their color, now mine as well. Feudal Japan- which the Narutoverse was modeled after- was an _extremely_ superstitious, after all.

"Kimi wa kawaii, ne?" Hidan smiled, stretching my cheeks affectionately.

That startled me. Was I Cute? Hell yes. But was I okay with this at all?

For the past three months, I tried not to agonize too much about my situation. I've already accepted that my first life had ended for good: though a deep resentfulness still resided within me from my destroyed dream. I've always been one to march forward relentlessly without so much as a look backwards, save for the occasional reminder of past mistakes. It was a very methodical way of life, and it suited me perfectly on Earth.

But, I had been ready back there; I understood my role in that world, what I desired to do. In fact, the reason why I was so confident was because I had my entire life planned out. I was going to ascend to principal violinist at the orchestra in Juilliard, and, upon graduation, be fought over by all the symphonies in the States. I will milk out a lavish playing career, meet a kind, boring boy and be convinced to pop out a child or two, then retire at the age of 63 and pass on my skills to future generations.

I scoffed to myself. Yeah, that was all nice and shit, but it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Then, an idea struck me. _Perhaps,_ I though tentatively,_ there was a reason why this had happened to me._ Perhaps...I had been too predictable, too cautious. In this world, there were too many variables for me to plan out a solid future. Maybe the whole point was for me to relax slightly and...just live.

Yet one thing I knew for sure.

No matter happens, this life wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Word Count: 1,603

Total: 3,549

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**_*this is sadly true_**

**There shouldn't only be one nationality for OCs. Hope you didn't mind a little cultural injection in here~**

**And I'm happy this fic was so well received! Thanks to Valor V2, ice devil cat demon, Isolationism, onyxlove15/onyx15, Dustflame, and rotten daydreams for reviewing. (:**


	3. Sickness, 疾病

**3, [Sickness, 疾病****]**

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两年后, (two years later)

* * *

11-year-old Hatake Kakashi smoothed a gloved hand over the mysterious blue envelope. A stream of observations followed. _Fine grain, high-quality wax seal, ...four days old at least. Feminine handwriting, traces of floral perfume. _

"Interesting," The boy muttered.

As an orphaned and antisocial child, the only mail Kakashi received were coupons from his favorite stores and, occasionally, letters of "youthful competition" from Guy. Why he felt the urge to waste paper, Kakashi would never know.

However, he has never, ever, received a letter from a woman named Seiryū Hiroyo from Yugakure.

Highly curious, the silver-haired child made his way back inside his spacious apartment. He had no concerns for his safety, since all letters from foreign lands passed through high-level security checks before being sent to Konoha citizens.

But how did this...Hiroyo get his address?

The acclaimed genius hopped on his bed and, with surprisingly nimble fingers, picked off the black wax seal. Then, very carefully, he took out the delicate parchment, unfurled it, and began to read.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Fall withered into winter, winter melted into spring, spring blistered into summer.

In a blink of an eye, the cycle happened twice, and two years have passed since I became Seiryū Hidaka.

After a rather tentative birthday celebration, Hiroyo lead me on chubby legs to a spacious, beautiful suite in the East wing of the compound. In contrast to the drab furnishings of my previous room, my new living space was earnestly decorated with traditional Japanese elements, including a large scroll with my name written in beautiful kanji. To my everlasting delight, there was even a small courtyard of my own behind a pair of silk-screen sliding doors. Fancy.

What can I say? My mother spoiled me rotten, and I _loved_ it.

In order to appear as normal as possible, I spent most of the day wandering around the compound, being avoided by other children my age, and napping in preparation for my nights; when I'd head off to either my clan's or Yugakure's library to read. I'd been quite a voracious reader before falling in love with music in my first life, and it was probably the only reason why I learned English so successfully after immigrating to the States. There was much to learn about this strange, _beautifully fascinating _world, after all.

One afternoon, I was napping peacefully when I heard the sliding door to my suite being flung open.

"Hidaka-chan?" _He's home already? It's not even 4 o'clock yet..._

Throughout the last two years, my brother continued to visit me, braving through the occasionally face-grabbing or slobbering in my earlier days. His visits, while occasionally annoying, did wonders in improving my Japanese, along with my nightly visits for knowledge.

"Hidan-nii? Is that you?" Stirring from a late afternoon nap on my deck, I rolled over on my tatami mat, giving my sweaty brother with a sleepy look.

"Yeah, 's me. Yukiko-sensei was sick, so school let out early. Sleep well, lazy imouto?"

"Mn," I closed my eyes again, letting the soft sunlight caress my face. It was a good, lazy, _safe_ life. I liked it.

Tossing his backpack in a corner, Hidan ran over to my napping place. Gleefully, he grabbed two fistfuls of the blankets beneath me and tugged, rolling me off.

I grunted as I hit the hard wood, but refused to get up, curling into a tight ball in my sleeping robe.

"Maa. Why the hell are you so damn tired all the time?" Hidan jabbed me in the shoulder blade rather harshly for emphasis.

"Mn."

Lately, Hidan's vocabulary seemed to have taken a rather...rough edge. Probably because of-

"You're just like Raidoku in class. Hey, I want him and Yuya-chan to come over sometime. You think kaa-chan would let 'em?"

From what I could tell, Yuya and Raidoku, his new friends, were children from the poorer part of town. Unfortunately, Hidan has been soaking up a lot of their behavior and vocabulary. Gone was the sweet, bashful aniki from my early days. He was rapidly becoming a normal 8-year-old boy with healthy and slightly...violent tendencies. However, he was still my big brother, and I could only hope that Yuya and Raidoku aren't just going after his money. They were his only friends beside me, after all, and I couldn't bear to imagine what would happen if they abandoned him.

Knowing that I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon, I rubbed my eyes and yawned as I sat up. "Probably. Kaa-chan wouldn't mind. Are they nice, your friends?"

"They're..." Hidan hesitated, looking very vulnerable for a second. "Nice, yeah."

I gave him a long look, though he refused to meet my gaze. Eventually I sighed, before putting up a innocent grin. "Wanna play tag, aniki?"

* * *

. . .

* * *

About a week later, my grim prediction on the trials of this life came true.

As a result, my life was nearly ended prematurely. Again.

On that chilly autumn night, I woke up in a pool of my own sweat, my breathing alarmingly shallow. Liquid fire was coursing through my veins, and my skin felt like it was being peeled off. Phantom pains clawed at my legs, reminiscent of the accident that ended my previous life, and my body was irresponsive to my attempts at getting up.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

So, I did the most logical thing I could think of. I screamed, over and over, as loudly as possible.

I heard people shouting my name, someone picking me up, and felt that person running before I was consumed by the abyss of my mind.

* * *

"Your daughter is experiencing the development of chakra marks.

"...come again?"

The soft tenor voice sighed. "Chakra marks. They occasionally appear in children of shinobi, but are usually extreme rare among civilians. See those faint lines on the back of her hands?" A pause. "I've never seen anything like this, though."

Voices. I tried to open my eyes- but my eyelids wouldn't budge. They were sealed shut with crusted tears, and my throat burned terribly.

"Chakra marks?" Echoed Hiroyo. She sounded strained. I reached for my mother, but I discovered that my body wouldn't move, either.

"Hai. Ever heard of the Inuzuka clan, Hiroyo-sama?"

"...Shinobi from Konohagakure, right?"

"Hai. They exhibit genetic chakra marks, in the form of two dark red triangles on their cheeks. Their marks are results of high concentrations of chakra channels that form glands, which store extra chakra that they use to enhance their sense of smell for tracking."

"Are you telling me that my daughter is becoming a _dog_?"

"No, no. I'm not even sure what these marks-" A finger stroked the skin on the back of my hand. "Are for, or how she got them. Your daughter hasn't been exposed to high levels of powerful chakra before, has she?"

"Not that I know of."

"How bizarre. One moment, please. Let me check her system again."

Brief silence ensued as the medic placed a hand over my chest bone. I tensed.

Then, the strangest thing happened. It was as if her hand _went into_ my body, and began to take root and spread around my innards, sending waves of strange tingles through my chest. It was the weirdest feeling, and I spent three minutes in itchy discomfort before the strange roots were retracted and pulled out of my body.

"Well, Hiroyo-sama, I'm afraid that these-" Another tap at my hands. "Are malignant. Her chakra system...well, it's very strange to begin with. She has an unusually high amount of spiritual chakra, and that alone causes a lot of imbalances between her mind and body. But adding to that, her system seems to be disrupted, and it's sending most of her chakra to her hands to sustain these. There isn't much left for her organs, I'm afraid."

"_Malignant_?" Poor Hiroyo.

"Yes, and there's not much I could do, I'm afraid."

At this, Hiroyo grew frustrated. "Can't you just direct the chakra back to her organs? Away from the marks?"

The medic sighed. "Hiroyo-sama..."

"They promised to send the best shinobi medic of Yugakure. And _this_ is what I get?"

"I'm sorry, Hiroyo-sama. It's just...it's best to let the marks finish developing first, and-"

"_She could be dead by then_."_  
_

The silence was even tenser this time.

"Keep her hydrated for now, and control the fever. Have someone massage the marks whenever her hands start to feel hot to the touch. I'll...I'll come in to check on her once a day. In the meantime, I heard Tsunade was spotted in a town four miles West of here a few days ago. I heard that she sometimes accepts interesting patients."

"You-!"

"It's your only chance, Hiroyo-sama. The amount of chakra control required to untangle _this_ mess...well, I can only think of one person who has it. And that'll be Tsunade."

Silence once more.

"Leave us, medic."

There was a rustle of cloth as the medic stood and bowed.

"Thank you for your patronage, Hiroyo-sama. Good luck, Hidaka-san."

* * *

Word count: 1,450

Total: 5,009

Goal: Under 6K

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**Once again, many thanks to all of those who've reviewed. **

**To Isolationism- money and security is better than being condemned to a life of labor, ne?**

**I'm afraid Hidaka and Hidan are staying in Yugakure for awhile. Yuya is also a canon character. ****Also, the marks isn't a kekkei genkai. Just a 'lil somethin.**


	4. Victory, 胜利

**4, [Victory, (胜利)]**

* * *

. . .

* * *

Four days after the medic damned me with her diagnostics, I got a surprise visitor.

"_This child bears my mark..."_

I startled at the gunshot-like voice. Anger, not mine, thumped in my chest. At the same time, the dull burning sensation from my chakra marks intensified.

_"But it is not the one. This should be it...this should be my priest...but where is the hate? Where is the festering, ugly hate from its abandonment by humanity? Tell me child, where is your depravity, your will for vengeance against humanity?"_

It's presence was vile, disgusting. The pure _hatred _it was radiating paralyzed me.

Bodily possession by an age-old Satanic figure was not a pleasant thing. The spine-freezing voice was only part of it. For the few minutes that it was within me, _part of me,_ picking at my mind, I was wide awake, hyperaware of my inner and outer surroundings.

The entire experience was utterly terrifying.

"_Terrifying?_ _No,_" It chuckled, a dry rattle._ "An insignificant mortal such as yourself should be honored to be united with me."_

At last, I managed to gather my disjointed thoughts into a single command.

"**Get. Out.**"**  
**

_"Why should I? Do you know how much energy I expended to get here?"_

"**Just leave!**"

The god- the demon- whatever it was, it completely ignored me.

Instead, it continued to rummage around my mindscape. I could physically _feel_ it rifling through my memories, pulling up various images in chronological order for both of us to see, rewinding my lives like a movie. And I could only lie there helplessly, letting it do as it wished.

We sped past the mundane days of Seiryū Hidaka at an alarming pace, drawing closer and closer to her birth.

_"Boring, boring...ah? A brother?" _It stopped, rewinding through my numerous memories of Hidan, pausing on those where I could see his face. _"Those same eyes! He must be the one...I've been deceived!" _The voice snarled. "_Why are there two children with my mark? I've expended all my energy on entering the wrong one. Useless child!"_

As a punishment, it send a searing wave of white-hot pain through my nervous system. I spasmed, whimpering. In the back of my mind, I finally pieced together what was happening. But before I could hold on to that suspicion, it interrupted me.

_"Ah? W__hat, pray tell, is_ this?"

Gooseflesh blazed a trail down my arms. We've reached Hidaka's nativity...and the finale of my first life.

As we relived my fatal collision, it made a sound of delight. "_A death? Few are blessed with their past identities as they cycle through reincarnation...how _precious_. No wonder why you're unaffected by the coldheartedness of your new kin. But that doesn't change the fact that you're useless to me."_

It sent another spark of pain. I choked, convulsing.

We went on to experience my high school graduation, my parents' ceaseless fighting, auditions, trips to China, my first orchestra solo, the soft-eyed boy I shard my first kiss with-

At some point, I began to cry. It wasn't pretty. It was a heart-wrenching, gut-heaving lament. The sight of what I used to be broke something inside, and, unable to stop, I laid there, wrapped in wet, hot sheets, letting lose two-years worth of pent-up emotion.

"_Yes, keep crying! Hate me! Hate yourself! Hate this life!" _It cackled. Fucking sadist. "_Turn to me! Resent human kindness!"_

"**Fuck you!****" **I howled.

Then, I did something completely unexpected.

Perhaps, in a moment of absolute rage and despair, my chakra decided to intervene. There was a lot of instinct involved, but somehow, I managed to pool whatever chakra I had left towards my head, where its voice was, and _pushed_.

"_What?"_ Confused, it sputtered. "_Why are you resisting me?"_

I didn't respond. I only pushed harder, forcing that syrupy, warm energy towards the voice. I doubt it'll work, but-

It let out a blood-curdling, inhuman scream- abruptly, it was cut off.

My entire body convulsed upwards.

_Holy...fuck._

I heard myself panting in the darkness for a few moments before I was, once again, claimed by unconsciousness.

* * *

两分钟时后 (Two minutes later)

* * *

Nanami frowned as she entered Seiryū Hidaka's suite.

The little heiress was in her usual spot, lying flat in a sea of sheets, a wet towel slung on her forehead. Strands of her crow-colored hair stuck to the towel and her sweat, making her skin appear paler than usual.

_Something's wrong_.

Stepping briskly towards the bedridden toddler, Nanami knelt. The jōnin brushed blond bangs away from her face as she fell into the familiar routine of a cursory chakra scan, placing a hand over Hidaka's fragile chestbone and-

Flint-colored eyes widened.

"Kuso."

Hidaka had somehow managed to exhaust all of her chakra. Only a measly portion of it remained, circling her Eight Gates. As a result, the infant's heartbeat was alarmingly slow, and her breathing almost nonexistent. If Nanami had waited even a minute to come in, she would've been dead.

Nanami immediately coated her hand with more chakra, pushed it into the infant's chest, and grabbed her tiny heart. As she artificially pumped it with her hand, she placed her mouth over the child's and breathed for her.

After what felt like an eternity, a faint but steady pulse finally returned, and Hidaka began to reciprocate her breaths.

With a loud sigh, Nanami detached herself and returned to a kneeling position. However, she kept a hand hovering over Hidaka's chest, closely monitoring her organs and sending small bursts of chakra to revive her brain activity.

_Looks like I'm going to be here for awhile._

* * *

. . .

* * *

"Is there blood?"

Tsunade didn't even bother looking up from her spot at the bar. The clack of wooden sandals, signaling their owner's approach, faltered at her question.

"...pardon me?"

The buxom woman exhaled, and took another swig of sake. "You've been sitting at table 4 for a good ten minutes, staring at me. Your three servants have been nudging you to come speak to me, and they all have what I'm assuming to be money tucked into their clothes. A woman like you usually sends her underlings for requests like this, so I'm assuming that this is something very important." Tsunade shook her sake bottle, finding it to be disappointingly empty. "You're here to ask me to heal someone dear to you."

"I am," To her credit, the other woman didn't even question how Tsunade observed all that without even turning around. She slid into the stool next to the legendary Sannin, clasping her hands tight.

Tsunade spared her a momentary glance. Civilian. Rich. Late-20s. Worried. "Buy me a drink. And tell me; is there blood?"

"No blood," The civilian did as she requested. Soon, a bottle of the best sake this rundown watering hole had to offer was in front of Tsunade, with a small bonus platter of warm food. "It's my daughter. I had Yugakure's senior field medic examine her a few days ago, and she said that she's developing malignant chakra marks."

A blonde brow rose. Chakra marks? In a civilian? Those cases were rare. Malignant ones were even rarer. Shizune needed this experience.

"I don't know what the normal procedure is, but apparently there's also some huge problems with my daughter's chakra system. The medic said that she couldn't heal her, and that my only chance is you. And since you happened to be in town..." The woman trailed off. "In exchange for your services, I'm willing you to offer you a very handsome sum of money, or-"

Tsunade held up a hand.

"I'll come. We'll talk about payment later."

* * *

一天后

* * *

"...recovering nicely, though the Chakra Realignment surgery took a toll on her."

A blink. Then, I was awake. Wide, jarringly awake.

Finally.

There was no pain, no evil spirit residing inside me...actually, aside from the biting hunger, I felt _great._ Huh. I wriggled my fingers and toes experimentally, felt around my belly- nothing was amiss.

With a grunt and a heave, I sat up, kicking off the layers of blankets I was swaddled in. Outside, the veil of night had fallen, and a gust had picked up, stirring up flurries of brittle leaves. A sickle-shaped moon grinned at me. Behind my ricepaper-screen walls, low lamplight illuminated five figures that stood in the hallway.

"Will she be okay?" This voice I recognized. It was Hidan. I squinted. Sure enough, the shortest silhouette was my elder sibling.

"Hai, Hidan-kun. Your imouto will be fine. You should let her rest for the next two weeks, though."

Hidan nodded, his fluffy hair flopping. "Arigatou, Shizune-nee-chan!"

I froze.

_Shizune?_

Shizune...Shizune...that was a canon character...who was she again? Someone's apprentice...

My mother spoke, derailing my train of thought. "I can't thank you enough, Tsunade-san. You too, Nanami-san, for staying by Hidaka's side."

Oh. The Legendary Sucker, future Godaime Hokage, Slug Princess, and the Shodai Hokage's granddaughter had healed me. No wonder.

Another one of the figures nodded. "We'll monitor her for one more day, if you don't mind. I'll have Shizune teach her a technique to help with the marks when she wakes up. We'll be on our way after that."

"Of course. Stay as long as you'd like."

Hidan yawned, prompting a good-natured shove from one of the women. "Off to bed with you, Hidan. I'll be leaving too, Hiroyo-sama."

"Take care, Nanami-san."

A few seconds later, Hidan and Nanami left, leaving my mother alone with the famed medic-nin and her apprentice.

"You understand what the marks are, Hiroyo-san? We can explain it again if you need it. After all, chakra is con-"

"I am a civilian, but with all due respect, I'm not an idiot, Shizune-san."

"Good." Tsunade interjected. "Consider the option that we proposed earlier, then. Shamisen lessons are a fine idea, but _that_ is even more beneficial for your daughter's future."

This piqued my interest. Shamisen was a string instrument, and on my nightly trips, I sometimes passed by a teahouse where a geisha would be playing one. I though about asking Hiroyo for lessons soon, but I never mustered up enough courage. Besides, I probably wouldn't hold back once I started. It'll be kinda suspicious if I started playing Mendelssohn concertos from memory, wouldn't it?

But what was _that _thing Tsunade was talking about?

Hiroyo waited a long time before replying. "I'll think about it."

* * *

Chapter word count: 1,710

Total: 6,719

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter. Did this make sense at all?**


	5. Limitations, 极限

**5, [Limitations, (极限)]**

* * *

第二天（the next day)

* * *

Dawn came, heralding an overcast and crisply cold day.

When Hidaka's room turned out to be empty, Shizune wandered the Seiryū's vast compound in search of her newest assignment. Five minutes later, she found her hidden in a quiet stone alcove, deep in the heart of the main courtyard.

_Didn't Hiroyo say she sleeps until noon almost every day? And if she's awake, w__hy isn't she playing with her peers? __What a strange child._

Surrounded by fronds of yellow bamboo, said child was examining the newly formed marks on her forearms with a strange hawk-like intensity. To see such a look on her chubby, childish face was...disturbing.

"Hidaka-chan," Shaking away that feeling, Shizune greeted, walking towards the seated girl.

"Morning, Shizune-san." Hidaka gave her a passing glance. _  
_

Shizune raised a dark brow. "I don't recall introducing myself to you."

"I wasn't asleep the entire time you three were healing me." Hidaka shrugged, deliberating lifting her head up to make eye contact.

Shizune stiffened.

If she was any less of a kunoichi, she would've flinched. For a moment, Hidaka's gaze sharpened into something dangerously intuitive. There was nothing childish in her eyes, no- those twin pools of plum hinted at untapped pools of intelligence and insight.

That uncanny expression was gone within milliseconds, as if it was never there in the first place. But Shizune _saw it. _

Hidaka cocked her head innocently. "Are my eyes bothering you, Shizune-san? I can look away, if you want me to."

"No," She said firmly, shaking her head slowly. "Never mind. How do you like your new chakra marks? I'm afraid they'll be staying with you for the rest of your life."

Hidaka made a quiet noise that sounded like a scoff.

Shizune sighed, sitting down next to the white-clad girl. "I'm here to help you, and teach you a few things."

* * *

. . .

* * *

Tattoos have always fascinated me.

In my past life, I watched with half-hearted envy as my bolder friends divulged themselves in the art, unable to participate myself. Inked classical violinists simply didn't exist. Besides, my ultra-traditional parents would've disowned me, successful musician or not.

Now, I've finally gotten my wish, though it wasn't exactly like I had a choice.

On the underside of my forearms, there were two thick black lines that traced my radius and ulna, giving my skin a skeletal appearance. Faint, vein-like lines curled around them like vines. I suspected they followed my chakra channels. On the back of my hands, there were two bold diamond shapes, with a hollow circle of regular skin in their centers.

They were...interesting. Not my taste, but I can live with it. At least they weren't Jashin symbols, right?

I listened with feigned interest as Shizune explained chakra to me. I'd already garnered the basics and more from books I pilfered from Yugakure's Archives. It was only when she began to get specific did I truly start paying attention.

"You're a lucky individual, Hidaka-chan. You have almost twice as much spiritual chakra as physical chakra." _That makes sense, considering that my mind is many times more developed than my body.__"_People are born with a random combination of the two, but, depending on your training and your genes, you can gain more of both as you grow older. Who knows? Perhaps your father had very refined chakra, or you just had good coil development in your brain, or maybe a combination of both...ah, is that too much technical jargon for you?"

I shook my head. It was actually quite interesting.

"It's not? Anyways, no more of that. When your marks started forming, they drew away too much chakra from the rest of your body, like a parasite. Shishou gave you a chakra transfusion, redirected chakra away from your hands, and sealed off some of the extra pathways that formed."

I perked slightly. "Extra...pathways?"

"What, you think those lines are just for show? No, those are all extra coils that have formed. Your hands have the highest concentration of chakra pathways in your body. Even higher than those of your brain, in fact."

Wow.

No, really, wow. Did that mean what I think it does? Because, if what Shizune said is true, then...

"Needlessly to say, you have nearly perfect chakra control and conversion in your hands. That is a trait that some shinobi would gladly sell their humanity for." Shizune chuckled.

Holy shit. _Holy-_

"But, your gift comes at a hefty price. Since all your chakra is drawn naturally towards your hands, it will almost be impossible for you to channel it elsewhere. Right now, only a bare minimum is circling the rest of your body, keeping your other cells alive."

At that, I deflated. Well, I should've known it wouldn't come completely free of charge. There was a yin to every yang, a reaction to every action.

"However, that's what I'm here for. If we leave your chakra alone as it is, your body will actually start deteriorating. You won't be able to make a full recovery like that, ne? So, I'm going to teach you two basic chakra exercises before Shishou and I set off again." Shizune crossed her legs, motioning for me to do the same. "You ready? This is going to take awhile."

"Sure," I shrugged, examining the too-familiar face again. It was strange to see a 'manga' character so..._r__eal._ There was faint scarring on her face from long-gone acne, creases on her clothes, and slight frizziness in her hair.

I'd gotten over Hidan's 'realness' fairly quickly. He wasn't 'just a character' anymore- he was my brother. But Shizune? Hell, she was still 2D, black-and-white in my mind until a few minutes ago.

Just another reminder- along with the fact that I'm about to learn how to channel my chakra from her- of where I am, I suppose.

"Then let's begin."

* * *

. . .

* * *

"How'd she do?"

When Shizune returned to the generous quarters Hiroyo had offered her and Tsunade, her teacher/travel companion was already packed up. Tsunade was giving her an expectant look as she applied makeup to her unnaturally smooth face.

Shizune rolled her eyes. "Well, since you're all packed and ready to go, you already know the answer, don't you?"

Tsunade yawned, swiping gloss over her lips. "Of course. That girl- Hidaka, right? She's more perceptive than she looks."

"She's only two, shishou." But Shizune understood. She remembered the hidden intelligence, the veiled intuitiveness. "Besides, meditation and chakra flushing are very easy techniques, relatively speaking."

"Does age matter?" The blonde retorted. "Let me remind you that when you were her age, you learned how to throw a kunai and snap a wrist."

Shizune grunted in reply, walking over to gather her own belongings. "I can't believe you didn't ask for money, shishou. From the looks of this place, Hiroyo would've gladly paid off all your debt, if _you just asked her too."_

"Well, I don't see a point in having my debt paid off, unless I wanted to avoid Konoha buying me back. But I think they'll be busy with Hidaka for awhile."

Stuffing her belongings in her pack, Shizune gave Tsunade a look. "Sometimes I question your judgement, shishou. Do you _really _think Hiroyo would let her spoiled little princess become a shinobi, much less become a shinobi for _Konohagakure? _They do live in Yugakure."

Tsunade scoffed. "Yugakure? You know what Yugakure is, Shizune? It's a pathetic excuse for a shinobi village. Their entire economy is based on the tourists that come in to visit the Seiryū's hot springs. Once the skirmishes between Iwa, Kumo, and Konoha break out into a full-on war, they're not going to be stupid and remain a ninja village. Have you seen the number of missions they've been taking? It's dropping by 50% every year. Mark my words, this place isn't going to last."

Shizune hoisted her pack on her shoulders. What Tsunade had said was true- she'd seen the reports herself. "Fine. But what makes you so sure that our little patient wants to become a ninja?"

Her teacher gave her a smirk, though there was a hint of something painful in there as well. "Call it a gut feeling."

* * *

Chapter word count: 1,365

Total: 8,079

Goal: less than 10k

* * *

**Wow. This story ended up being a lot more popular than I'd expected! All your questions will be answered in due time, don't fret.**

**Anyways, was that too much blardly blard on chakra? Is Hidaka interesting? I dunno..**

**And Isolationism, I can't believe you actually have an account!**

**Edit: Forgot the ****word count, bleh!**


	6. Encounter, 会面

**. . .**

* * *

**6, [Encounter, (会面)]**

* * *

一星期后(a week later)

* * *

"Have you heard?"

"It's the second one again, what a troublesome..."

"Senju Tsunade-"

"Chakra marks, how strange!"

"I have a friend, a Seiryū. He says that her arms are shriveled, dead, sapped by the curse-"

"Bah! She's just a kid. How much harm could she do?"

"The curse is getting stronger..."

* * *

The Slug Sannin left Hiroyo not with her purse lighter, but with her mind heavier. Of all things to request from her...why that? She'd expected the infamous gambler to ask her for money. Or a favor. Or free lodging in her family's endless sprawl of hot spring resorts.

But not Hidaka's future.

_"You want to repay me for your daughter's life? Fine. Promise me you will tell her about shinobi. When she is of age, give her the option of pursuing that career. And, i__f she chooses to become one of us, send her to Konohagakure. Let her fight for Konoha."_

Konohagakure.

Why did everyone she value end up in that wretched village?

Hiroyo had to give Tsunade some credit though. The Senju heiress worded her request in a way that would make it seem like Hiroyo was in control, like Hiroyo had a choice. Hah! As if. Her little Hidaka was already enamored by her newfound abilities- she had taken to chakra manipulation like a duck to water.

With a deep sigh, Hiroyo pushed away the contract proposal she was working on, beckoning one of her servants over, who dutifully refilled her cup of barley tea. Taking a sip of the bitter, warm liquid, Hiroyo stood, striding over to her office door.

"I'm going on a walk. Accompany me."

Servants in tow, the wealthy businesswoman made her way around the winding stone path that looped through the entire establishment of her clan. As she walked by the kitchen building, a small figure caught her eye. Hiroyo stopped dead in her path, squinted at the mysterious person, and nearly did a double take.

How in the name of hell did Hidaka get up _there_?

The tall woman narrowed her eyes as she noticed that her daughter was sitting cross-legged, back ramrod-straight, and hands formed into a weird seal of some sort. Proper meditation procedure. Her arms and those _dreadful _marks were exposed, the long shirtsleeves push high up her arms.

Something dark fluttered in her chest- something wicked, something cruel, something resentful, something that should _not_ have been thought while looking at her dear Hidaka.

_No. No, no, no. How could I think that? _Hiroyo shuddered, wrenching her gaze away from the heartbreaking sight. _ No, I'm her mother. I love her._

With a troubled expression, she forced herself to walk away, choosing to avoid her emotions for now.

* * *

一月后 (a month later)

* * *

Trauma from Jashin's mental manipulations would inevitably catch up with me, sooner or later. It turned out to be sooner.

Unstable, scared, and confused, I ended up in the streets of Yugakure every night, walking aimlessly through the quieter alleys that have become so familiar. I needed time to think, away from the watchful eyes of my family.

Obviously, Jashin, whatever it is, had made a mistake and possessed me instead of my brother. I remember what he said about 'marks', so I guess the clan was right, after all. Our eye color wasn't just a lucky mutation; it was purposed for Jashin to mark his targets. Why us, though? What about us attracted the attention of_ Jashin_?

"_Where is the festering, ugly hate from its abandonment by humanity? Tell me child, where is your depravity, your will for vengeance against humanity?" _

A harsh breeze swept by, stirring up the heavy jacket and tousling my short, choppy hair. I shuddered. The combined effect of the wind and the horrible voice that echoed in my mind sent chills straight to the marrow of my bones.

I comforted myself with a reminder that at least Hidan was safe; for now. It would've been truly disastrous if Jashin had entered the right body a month ago. Unlike me, Hidan was young and impressionable, and with that kind of power inside of him, I don't think he would've been able to resist.

However, I wasn't foolish enough to trick myself into thinking that he and I will be safe forever. I knew this false security won't last. When Jashin recovers, it will immediately target Hidan. How will I be able to keep him safe then?_ Dammit_. Nearly growly out loud, I clenched my fists._ I don't have enough information...I need to find out as much as I can about this Jashin thing. _

The library it is, then.

"Huh? What's a kiddo like you doin' out at this hour?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. _FUCK! This is literally the last thing I need! How am I supposed to explain why I'm here? I'm barely old enough to be walking around yet! Shit shit shit shit shit-_

Lifting my chin up to look the bastard in the eye, I decided to play the lost-scared-child card. The scant moonlight painted a faint outline of his face, but when I narrowed my eyes to get a clearer image, I nearly screamed out loud.

_Holy mother of God, why is _Kabuto_ here?_

"Oh, hey, it's alright, I'm not gonna hurt ya." Wait, what? Where did that accent come from? My mind raced. Okay, so Kabuto probably adopted a civilian mask here. Is he playing some kinda peasant? With his twanging Japanese, his uncombed, free-flowing hair, and straw and linen clothing, he was doing a pretty good damn job.

But, at this point in time, shouldn't he be in Konoha?

No matter.

Summoning my meager acting skills, I cowered away from his outstretched hand. "Kaa-chan," I whimpered.

"Heya," He knelt before me, looking at me with such _kindness _that it nearly warped me into thinking that it was real for a moment. Up close, I could see the finger smudges on his glasses, the slight tilt of his nose, and bits of leaves sticking out from his hair. "It's alright, kiddo. Ya lost at this hour? I'll help ya find yer mommy."

He set a hand on my head, ruffling it. My eyes were blown wide with a mixture of fear and disgust. _Dear God. What does he want? What's this all about? Is he on a recruiting mission for Orochimaru?_

"Whoa, kid! Yer eyes are real pretty. Never seen anything like 'em. Hold on...ya must be that Seiryū kid!"

I forced myself to not gulp again. _"_How do you know me?"

"Yer the talk of the town, kiddo." He winked. It was a gesture so out of character with the person depicted in the series that I nearly winced. "Word's goin' 'round that yer cursed or something, but ya just look like a lil' girl to me."

_Oh, shit. _I cursed mentally once more. Even at this point in time-, Kabuto was a prodigious medic-nin, much better than that Nanami girl. _I can't let him see my marks._

"They said something about yer arms, too, little girl. Ya mind showing 'em to me? Gotta see for myself, ya know."

_Fucccccckkkkk. Fuckity fuck._ At this point, I was past the point of freaking out. This could end very, very badly. "No." I refused immediately, subconsciously tugging the long sleeves of my jacket over my hands.

A silver brow rose. "I'm curious, that's all. Just a peek won' hurt, won' it?"

I backed away further. There was a bright street right down there, a couple of bars. If I ran fast enough-

Suddenly, any thoughts of running away from this nice man evaporated, and the world blurred alarmingly. Before I could question why I had just thought of Kabuto as _nice_, my feet were already taking me over to him. I blinked several times, confusion muddling my senses. Why did I want to run away again? This man was just being nice to me, he was just asking a few questions...

"That's a good girl," Kabuto purred as I docilely sat down, offering up my arms. "Just a look, that's all."

I nodded numbly. _He's harmless and nice. You're safe with him, _repeated a metallic voice in the depths of my mind. Being under an emotion-warping genjustu was a bizarre experience. My true intentions were suppressed, temporarily replaced by the caster's will.

With the genjutsu acting like a sedative, I sat motionlessly on the cold alley ground for nearly ten minutes as Kabuto performed various tests on my now exposed marks. Not a word was uttered as he worked, hands glowing jade green and left eyebrow occasionally twitching.

"Hm. Interesting." After what seemed like an eternity, he finally detached his hands from my arms. Unlike Nanami, his use of medical chakra was so advanced that I couldn't feel anything, even though he was probably doing extremely delicate work with my channels. "Interesting, but not as useful as one would hope. But who knows? Perhaps he will take an interest to you yet. He an eye for talent." He chuckled, voice dry and completely un-peasantlike.

Despite the genjutsu, I still felt something cold hit the bottom of my stomach. _No...anyone but _him. _  
_

"Well, thank ya, Hidaka-hime." Kabuto switched back to his civilian mask again. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

With that, he leaned forward, tapped my forehead, and the effects of the genjutsu deepened. I remembered nothing else for the next eight hours.

* * *

word count: 1,575

total: 9,651

* * *

**As usual, thank you for your feedback and interest in this story! My best friend (from out of state) and her family visited us this weekend, so this update was slower...but it was fun!**


	7. Bide, 等待

**7, [Bide (等待)]**

* * *

第二天

* * *

After all the trouble he went through to subjugate me, Kabuto left me in the alley for Yugakure's night patrol. Chaos ensued, and I was locked inside my room under high security for a few days. In a futile attempt to prevent any further "kidnapping attempts", Hiroyo hired three guards to shadow me constantly after her worries were assuaged.

Ha! If only she knew.

By day, an unassuming, plain woman would accompany me. She dined with me, stood at the door while I used the bathroom, and joined me in my hours-long meditation sessions. I didn't mind her presence. She was more of a companion than a guard, though she barely spoke and I have yet to learn her name.

At night, two intimidating men would replace her, standing post at the two entrances to my room, on the alert for anything and everything- including me.

Needless to say, Hiroyo's protective tendencies presented a huge roadblock in my quest for information. However, being confined to the compound was better than being carted off to one of Orochimaru's bases and trained into one of his mindless beasts.

The very thought of the infamous Snake Sannin invoked a sort of primal fear and anxiety within me. I was not ready to face either him or Jashin- I had to meditate for _hours_ every day just to ensure that my organs wouldn't fail from lack of chakra. How was I supposed to fend off a supernatural force _and _one of the most dangerous villains in the world at the same time? Orochimaru might not be interested in me now- I was, after all, an untrained civilian child- but after that encounter with Kabuto, I was surely under his radar.

Now, the only thing I could do was wait- wait for an opportunity to present itself or until I'm old enough to go into town without much suspicion.

* * *

"The placement tests were today, imouto."

I stopped in mid-stroke, my eyes flickering to the lax form on my brother. School kids here were lucky- they had three-day weeks, and a one-day breaks in between. Hidan was lounging on my deck in anticipation for the weekend, sprawled out like a starfish in a sea of abandoned homework. It was ironic that I was the one practicing my kanji, not him.

My daytime guard was sitting in the opposite corner of the room, watching both of us. As usual, her presence served as a reminder to my limits. Two months have passed since she began babysitting me, and not much has changed.

"Placement tests?" I echoed, wrenching my attention back to Hidan.

"Yeah. Yugakure only has one Academy, so both the civvies and the shinobi start off together. The teachers observe us for a year and a half, and then they test us so they can chose a few for the shinobi curriculum. I told you, right?"

"Oh, yeah," I blinked. He did mention it. "So, uh, how'd you do?"

Hidan gave me a huge, cocky grin. "Guess."

"You failed," I deadpanned.

"No!" He scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out at me. "Mean fucker."

"Rude," I retorted. My relationship with him was so different from my relationship with Daniel, who had been my younger brother from my previous life. Daniel had been such a sweet boy- mellowed out by my intensity, I suppose. He was always so eager to please me, unlike Hidan.

"Hmmph. Come see for yourself, then!"

I scampered over to him, picking up the test results that he slid towards me. Instead of numbers and graphs, however, there was only short commentary for two tests- field reactions and reflexes. I guess Yugakure didn't like standardized testing. Intrigued, I read on. In lieu of testing the students on what they've studied for the last year and a half, the instructors picked out tests that tested their instincts and reactions to various situations.

My brother put on a stellar performance, it seems. Apparently, he didn't even flinch when they handed him a knife and told him to cut the teacher. He did it, calmly giving the instructor at tiny, tiny cut on the finger and explaining that they didn't specify how big or deep the cut needed to be.

"Impressed? I was second in the class, right after 'Yuya," Smugness was literally rolling off him. "She called me a pussy for losing to her, but it was worth it."

"I'm sure it was. Good job." I quipped curtly, tossing the paper back at him. Despite our normality, however, there was one huge elephant in the room that we haven't addressed yet.

"I hope kaa-chan will let me stay in the Shinobi program. I don't want to be a civvie. Yuya will make fun of me."

Pssh. As if his only reason for wanting to become a ninja was to stay friends with this Yuya girl.

"You know what?" I plopped down next to him, lying down with my head on his stomach. Hidan protested weakly, but made no move to push his cute sister off. "I can go help you talk to kaa-chan if you want."

I felt his abdominal muscles jerk with his muffled gasp, and fought a smile. "Wait, really?"

"Why not? You're my aniki, after all."

He laughed as he sat up, drawing me into a hug before punching me on the shoulder.

I do really love him.

My resolve hardened- there was no way I would let _anyone _hurt him- be it Orochimaru, Jashin, or Kaguya herself.

* * *

Kakashi burnt the first letter.

And the second.

And the third.

And the forth, until he lost count, just like how he lost count of the number of bodies he had piled on his sentence to hell.

Regrettably, however, he read each and one of them. He was really turning into his father, wasn't he? That's why Sakumo had been so weak, so pitiful- it was because he culminated these bonds, these worthless ties.

But by reading those letters, those ramblings of some businesswoman his father had once known, made him feel slightly more human, slightly more connected with the people he was supposed to protect. And that was enough to keep her writing to him, and keep him reading.

Perhaps one day, for some obscure reason, he'd have to assassinate this Hiroyo woman. What would he do then? Would he hesitate? Kakashi didn't know. It was a considerable possibility, especially with the rising tension between the Villages. Nothing lasted forever, especially this one-sided correspondence between a prodigious Konoha chūnin and the leader of the richest clan in Yugakure.

For now, however, he was reluctantly content that her letters continued stuffing his mailbox, but he knew very well that each letter she sent could be the last.

* * *

Chapter Word count: 1,163

Total: 10,814

* * *

**Sorry for the wait! School started again, and I have sports too, so...I'm t****rying to update as quickly as possible so we can get to the good stuff, but bear with me, kay? And I know this chapter is VERY short but it's impossible for Hidaka to have so much excitement in her life in such a short amount of time, isn't it?**


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